Wood-Hauler From A Single Axle Dump Truck

KCTractors

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Central Wi
A friend wants to make a wood-hauler out of a 5 yard, single axle dump truck body. He wants to put a 6 HP engine and hydraulic pump on it so he can pull it with his pick-up back and forth from the woods. He says that he wouldn't load it full. His question is how big of hydraulic pump would he need and would the 6 hp engine be enough?
He can get the body for nothing and didn't even see it yet.
 
If it has a hoist already there are a few ways to work it. 1 use the PTO drive already there.2 Run the pump on the hoist with a hydraulic motor.3 your engine and I believe it would take less engine than that to run it. We had an old hoist on a truck we did a similar thing and could turn it under load by hand though slow it could be done. I did it just to see how hard it would turn. The hydraulic motor would let you use it on most tractors. It could be put at the front end of the drive shaft or mounted right off the end of the pump shaft. These methods would let you also use the valve already on the hoist.
 
My son cut down a little one ton truck with a twin-post hoist. I used the truck pump - it was PTO driven - and I powered it with an old 8 hp Briggs engine. The pump is chain driven, and geared as low as I could gear it with the sprockets that I had available. I also plumbed it with a valve to prevent backflow so I could connect to the tractor hydraulics and dump it. It will easily dump 3 tons of gravel from the local quarry. That's about all that I want behind me.
cvphoto145901.jpg
 
I have a 10k dump trailer with 12v pump.
I've overloaded it a few times. It has twin cylinders and controls.
cvphoto145902.jpg

I would check out amazon for idea on what pump to buy then see if it's cheaper from the seller..
 
Most of those old hoists will need a lot more oil than what most of those self contained pumps will hold like the one George shows. Though you can get different sized capacities. I think you would need an additional supply to lift it volume wise. We have a couple of those old hoists with the hoist frame as part of the underbody the box sets on those hoists use a good amount of oil to work them and newer lighter cylinders are rather expensive. I'm dealing with dad and wanting to make a trailer using the hoist frame as the trailer frame to keep it down lower. That will be the other issue is the height of the 5 yard truck on 20inch or so wheels. The floor will be in the 4-5 foot range for lifting wood you will need to load it with a loader. Or an elevator much like ACG used to show pictures of.
 
5 yards sounds big is only a little over a cord of wood. ~10' long ~7' wide and ~2' deep. Assuming that's struck capacity, you're looking at two cords of wood max heaped. The truck-trailer will probably weigh more than the wood in it.

6HP is overkill, but I assume he's talking about the Predator 212 from Harbor Freight, still by far the best deal in town even though the price has gone up 50%. It's not worth going with a smaller engine if he's going to but the engine new.
 
Designing hydraulics is all done with math.

It gets complicated, you need all the information such as cylinder displacement, reservoir size, force needed, cycle time, pump volume per revolution, pump torque required...

It is always best to work every detail out on paper first. Hydraulics are unforgiving and mistakes are expensive!

But my suggestion would be to look into a battery powered pump over a gas engine though. This sounds like something that will only get seasonal use, which would leave an engine sitting with aging gas in its system. Even if the pump were run with temporary battery cables to the tow vehicle it would still be practical.
 
Reuse the existing hydraulic pack from the truck if it is still available, or find a used one. With the right reduction ratio HP will not matter except for the speed of lift. Belt drive using the tension pulley as a clutch could make starting the engine a little easier as the hydraulics could be disengaged.

That trailer will be a very heavy load to pull or stop with a pickup, advise your friend to load the pickup with wood for ballast before loading the trailer so there is less chance of the trailer pushing the pickup around in slick conditions. A smaller trailer made from a 6 or 8 foot pickup bed could be a better match to pull with another pickup, especially without brakes.
 
Were I to do that conversion I would use a 2 stage wood splitter pump that matches that engine HP and that would be an 11GPM unit.
That way you can lift a heavy load and yet have some speed when the load allows. You can purchase the complete set-up cheaply on ebay or Amazon, pump, mount, couplings amd valve for about $240. Most dump truck hoists are one way single action cylinders and gravity down. The supplied valve will be for two way. Just run a hose from the valve port for down back to the tank. Our truck doesn't have a tank but uses the rod side of the cylinder as the reservoir.
 
Yes 6 Hp is more than enough to run a dump trailer.

Normally a 12 volt electric hyd power pack is used. - much easier to install and use. they include the tank and control valve. just push a bottom for up and another for down

That said you only need about 1 - 1 1/2 gpm at around 2,000 psi which only needs about 3 hp (gas).

Items needed to make it work
Pump
Gas-Engine-to-Pump-Adapter - see below
Tank
Control valve
Hydraulic hoses and fittings to plum it up

Surplus center is about the cheapest, northern tool is also good and Amazon with free shipping is competive.

https://www.surpluscenter.com/Hydraulics/Hydraulic-Pump-Mounts/Gas-Engine-to-Pump-Adapters/
 
My mistake. Thought you were re- powering a dump trailer. Not making one from dump truck.

Have to know more about what you have to suggest something

What is the psi and gpm of the current hydraulic unit in the truck. Its probably a pto pump bolted to the transmission because if it was electric hydraulic you would just get a battery. Assume youll be using the existing tank valve etc and just need a new hydraulic pump and gas engine to pump adapter.

You would want to match the gpm and psi. A higher gpm might be too fast. Less gpm will work it will just be slow .
 
I have a 5 yard dump trailer built from a 1957 IH town patrol truck. I use a 12v hydraulic unit salvaged from an old liftgate. I set mine up with female Pioneer couplers at pump and can hook to tractor hydraulics when pulled by tractor. When hooked to truck I will use a jump pack to power hydraulic unit. It is slow but have dumped it filled with old shingles. Is a very handy unit for scrap iron, firewood, and even used it to haul 150 bu. shell corn to the elevator. The big issue is there are no brakes on trailer. Common sense is a big thing when it comes to what you pull it with and how fast. Steve.
 
That is what I am thinking, way too much weight in that type of trailer. I would not want to be around when he is using it.
 
And you need a truck at least as big as the one trailer is made out of to pull it, nothing smaller
 
PJH's SON has the right idea. Pull the dump bed as a trailer hooked to a tractor and run the pump for the hoist with the PTO.
I worked for the township road Commissioner two summers when I was in college, also hauled crushed rock, sand, road chips, even dirt in a C-65 Chevy 5 yard dumptruck. Depending on where your going and what your hauling you might get along fine with a Farmall M or could need a 1066.
 
That big a trailer behind most pickups even 1/2 full would be like the tail wagging the dog. 1/2 yard of sand overloaded my 1/2 ton pickup.
 

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